{"id":1886,"date":"2018-01-10T12:52:28","date_gmt":"2018-01-10T12:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batkol.info\/?p=1886"},"modified":"2018-01-10T12:52:28","modified_gmt":"2018-01-10T12:52:28","slug":"the-second-sunday-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/2018\/01\/10\/the-second-sunday-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"The Second Sunday of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0<\/strong>T<\/strong>he <\/strong>Second Sunday of the Year<\/strong> (<\/strong>14<\/strong> January 2018<\/strong>)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lectionary readings: 1Sam 3:3-10. 19; Ps 40; 1Cor 6:13-15. 17-20; Jn 1:35-42<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Theme: Jesus, the Lamb of God<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Download<\/a><\/p>\n

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W<\/em><\/strong>hat strikes me about this gospel narrative is the use of names and titles. It begins with naming John whom we know as the Baptizer. The two with him are \u2018disciples\u2019 who are not named. John sees Jesus and points him out with the title \u201cLamb of God\u201d. The \u2018disciples\u2019 (still not named) leave John and follow Jesus. Jesus speaks his first words in this gospel: \u201cWhat do you seek?\u201d They answer him with another title \u2018Rabbi\u2019 meaning \u2018Teacher\u2019.<\/p>\n

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We then learn that one of the \u2018disciples\u2019 is Andrew. Interestingly enough he is designated as being the brother of \u2018Simon Peter\u2019 whom we have not met. Andrew tells Simon (now we are introduced) that they have found the \u2018Messiah\u2019 known in Greek as the \u2018Christos\u2019, the anointed one.<\/p>\n

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Andrew brings Simon to Jesus and Jesus looks at the man who is Simon the son of John and gives him his title: Cephas<\/em>, Peter or Rock.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Titles\u2019 can often take away the humanity of the person and raise them to something that enhances their ego and gives them power especially over other mere mortals. In this passage \u2018titles\u2019 designate a calling. John is the one who prepares the way by baptizing with water as he attests to in verses 31-34 where he gives Jesus his true identity: \u2018Son of God\u2019.<\/p>\n

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The disciples are followers or learners in the ways of God first with John and then with Jesus whom they recognise as \u2018Rabbi\u2019 but after spending time with Jesus attest to the fact that he is the \u2018Messiah\u2019 the anointed Saviour of God.<\/p>\n

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Why does John call Jesus the \u2018Lamb of God\u2019? The first time he uses the title is in verse 29 and he gives his reason for that: \u201cwho takes away the sin of the world\u201d. We are meant to recall the paschal lamb of Exodus 12 and to follow this through to Jesus\u2019 death which John puts at the time of the slaughtering of the paschal lambs. The second time John uses this title is to point out to his disciples who Jesus is, about whom he has already spoken.<\/p>\n

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McKenzie: Dictionary of the Bible <\/em>(1965) p.491 says that this title refers to Is 53:7 one of the \u2018Songs of the Suffering servant of the Lord\u2019 which is also quoted in Acts 8:32 and Jn 19:36: all of which point to Jesus.<\/p>\n

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McKenzie further points out that Joachim Jeremias has suggested that the original Aramaic word taly<\/em>\u1fb1<\/em>\u2019<\/em> means both lamb and servant. He says that the original statement was: \u201cHere is the Servant of God\u201d.<\/p>\n

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So \u2018titles\u2019 in the kingdom of God are about being a servant, pointing the way to Jesus away from ourselves and showing Jesus to others. As Sirach says in 2:1: \u201cMy son (daughter) when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials\u201d. \u00a0Our answer with Jesus is: \u201cI delight to do your will, O my God; your instruction lies deep within me\u201d (Ps 40:9).<\/p>\n

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For Reflection and Discussion<\/em><\/strong>: 1. At the beginning of this New Year what is your answer to Jesus\u2019 question: \u201cWhat do you seek?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Bibliography<\/em><\/strong>: <\/strong>King, N. The New Testament<\/em>, (Great Britain: 2004); McKenzie, J.L. Dictionary of the Bible<\/em> (New York: 1965); The African Bible, <\/em>(Nairobi: 1999).<\/p>\n

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This week\u2019s Sunday Gospel Commentary was prepared by<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bernadette Chellew, <\/strong>,<\/em>Durban, South Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Bat Kol Alum 2008
Email address: btrnchellew@gmail.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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[Copyright \u00a9 2018]<\/strong><\/p>\n

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PLEASE NOTE<\/em><\/strong>: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. \u00a0Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

1983-2018<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChristians Studying the Bible \u00a0within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0The Second Sunday of the Year (14 January 2018)\u00a0 Lectionary readings: 1Sam 3:3-10. 19; Ps 40; 1Cor 6:13-15. 17-20; Jn 1:35-42\u00a0 Theme: Jesus, the Lamb of God \u00a0 Download \u00a0 What strikes me about this gospel narrative is the use of names and titles. It begins with naming John whom we know as the Baptizer.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":1883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1886"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}